Learn more

Read for Free

OR

$0.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.

Read with our free app

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Color:

To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

H.A. Leuschel

Follow

Tess and Tattoos Kindle Edition

by H.A. Leuschel (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

82 ratings

‘Tess and Tattoos’ is one of five gripping stories taken from HA Leuschel’s book ‘Manipulated Lives’.

‘This was an AMAZING short story. Unexpected, raw and unbalancing, dripping with emotion and honest. It brings attention to the very real problem of domestic abuse’ - Evelina Avalinahs Books

'This is a book for you if you like great storytelling, compelling stories, psychology, shorter reads, and food for thought'- Karen Oberlaender, author and blogger

A suspenseful and emotional novella exploring whether we can ever be free from our past mistakes

In this story, the reader is taken on a compelling journey into the human mind where genuine friendship offers the key to inner peace.
Meet Tess, an elderly lady living in a care home apartment in the outskirts of Edinburgh, whose past is haunted by a wrong decision. She meets Nurse Sandra, a warm and bubbly single mother of three, who is instantly intrigued by Tess’s personality and the mystery that surrounds her.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B071LTBH7N
Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 29, 2017
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3.1 MB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 56 pages
Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Customer Reviews:
82 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

H.A. Leuschel

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Helene Andrea Leuschel gained a Master in Journalism & Communication, which led to a career in radio and television in Brussels, London and Edinburgh. She later acquired a Master in Philosophy, specializing in the study of the mind.

Helene has a particular interest in emotional, psychological and social well-being and this led her to write her first novel, Manipulated Lives, a fictional collection of five novellas, each highlighting the dangers of interacting with narcissists.

She lives with her husband and two children in Portugal. Please find out more about Helene at heleneleuschel.com or on Facebook and Twitter.

Customer reviews

82 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Review this product

Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find this short story engaging and well-written, with one noting it tells a story without using big words. Moreover, the book receives positive feedback for its character development and emotional depth, with one review highlighting how it delves deep into the human psyche. Additionally, customers appreciate its beauty and warmth, with one describing it as having heartfelt warmth.

Select to learn more

Short story Writing style Enjoyment Beauty Emotional content Character development Warmth

11 customers mention "Short story"11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy this short story, finding it relatable and a quick read.

"...Tess and Tattoos' is an excellent read. This well-written, relatable tale takes only about an hour to read but will stay with the reader for far..." Read more

"For being such a short and easy read I'm insanely impressed at how impacting it is. Talk about a powerhouse!..." Read more

"...She has created likeable characters and a plot that made me think, with a minimal amount of words...." Read more

"...I really liked this story, and it went in a direction I definitely wasn't expecting. It came as a bit of a surprise, but that's a good thing...." Read more

9 customers mention "Writing style"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as engaging and easy to read, with one customer noting it tells a story without using complex vocabulary.

"...Tess and Tattoos' is an excellent read. This well-written, relatable tale takes only about an hour to read but will stay with the reader for far..." Read more

"For being such a short and easy read I'm insanely impressed at how impacting it is. Talk about a powerhouse!..." Read more

"...Isn't it beautiful? And then the synopsis intrigued me with words like suspenseful, emotional, friendship, inner peace, and psychological...." Read more

"...H.A. Leuschel’s descriptive writing brings the story to life. I loved the suspense throughout this novella...." Read more

7 customers mention "Enjoyment"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable, with one describing it as a sweet short story and another noting it's a suspenseful read.

"...Bittersweet and heartfelt, 'Tess and Tattoos' is an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it. Enjoy!" Read more

"Tess and Tattoos is a sweet short story about an elderly woman and the nurse who finds herself drawn to the mystery of Tess...." Read more

"...I really enjoyed this quick and suspenseful read. I would recommend this to those who enjoy short stories with a little twist...." Read more

"...Well worth adding to your library." Read more

5 customers mention "Beauty"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book beautiful, with one mentioning it is well painted.

"...telling such a powerful and heart pinching story, and in such a beautiful way. You're amazing and I can't wait to read more of your work." Read more

"First of all, let me say that this cover is very eye catching. Isn't it beautiful?..." Read more

"...This novella lacks nothing...beautiful cover, interesting title, great character development and a story you won't soon forget...." Read more

"...It is beautiful. It brought me to tears. Other books of this writer are available and I am going to read them too...." Read more

5 customers mention "Emotional content"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book emotionally engaging, with one review noting how it delves deeply into the human psyche.

"...intrigued me with words like suspenseful, emotional, friendship, inner peace, and psychological. Wow, those words pack quite a punch!..." Read more

"...I also really liked Sandra. She was kind and caring, and she's the type of person everyone needs in their life...." Read more

"...Yet, it is much more than that. It delves deep into the human psyche and how people can make devastating choices that forever alter the course of..." Read more

"...Unexpected, raw and unbalancing, dripping with emotion and honest. It brings attention to the very real problem of domestic abuse...." Read more

4 customers mention "Character development"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book.

"...I loved Sandra’s character and have much respect for her...." Read more

"...Helene has done it in Tess and Tattoos. She has created likeable characters and a plot that made me think, with a minimal amount of words...." Read more

"...novella lacks nothing...beautiful cover, interesting title, great character development and a story you won't soon forget...." Read more

"...This was a short story That packed a big punch.... The characters were very well-developed especially given that it was only 53 pages.... an..." Read more

3 customers mention "Warmth"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the warmth of the book, finding it sweet, heartfelt, and delightful.

"...I also really liked Sandra. She was kind and caring, and she's the type of person everyone needs in their life...." Read more

"...It’s a quick read, and rather delightful...." Read more

"...the big words, also without any grammatical mistakes, and with a heartfelt warmth. Thanks for this moving work." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

Felicia Denise
Beautiful Short Story!
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2018
Verified Purchase

The blurring of lines between caregiver and patient impacts the lives of two women, if only for a short time.

Octogenarian Tess is haunted by the past. As bits and pieces of her back story are revealed, we see a woman who, while seeking liberation and freedom, imprisons herself for the offense of love.

While she considers excuses like Stockholm syndrome and protecting her abuser, I couldn’t help but feel as though Tess was doing penance and wonder if she ever would have walked away on her own.

The care home resident has more time each day than she likes to reflect on her choices and missed opportunities to enjoy a true reconciliation with her beloved only child.

Less than half Tess’s age, young widow, Sandra, is the breath of fresh air Tess needed in her suffocating existence.

As the newest staff member at the care home, the single mom has a lot on her plate with rejoining the workforce, raising three children and moving on with her life.

I loved Sandra’s character and have much respect for her.

She’s not a super-mom, uber-employee, or even an A-type personality. She’s quite ordinary, trying to figure it all out while moving forward without the love of her life. Sandra could even be called pragmatic. She’s doing her best to be her best, and that’s why, upon learning about physical scars Tess keeps hidden, her gut tells Sandra this quiet, talented woman is also hiding emotional and psychological pain. This is when Sandra decides to help Tess find the healing her soul craves.

Without giving away spoilers, I will say I feel Tess’s choice was quite telling of her life journey and in the end, she freed herself and gave herself permission to let go.

The subsequent meeting between Sandra and Daniel brings together the two ‘halves’ of Tess giving the reader great insight into who Tess truly was.

'Tess and Tattoos' is an excellent read. This well-written, relatable tale takes only about an hour to read but will stay with the reader for far longer. It could even lead them to consider their own familial relationships and if there are topics avoided for far too long, or unspoken words.

Bittersweet and heartfelt, 'Tess and Tattoos' is an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it.

Enjoy!

Read more

Helpful

Report
O
beautiful! I wanted more
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2018
Verified Purchase
For being such a short and easy read I'm insanely impressed at how impacting it is. Talk about a powerhouse! Tess is an elderly woman in a nursing home with a super dicey past. She had life frosted with regrets, all forced onto her by the hand of a person who was supposed to love her. Sandra is new on the job as a caretaker at the nursing home that's housing Tess.

I really like Sandra. She's genuine, down to earth and understanding. With a hard back story of her own packed to the brim with love and loss, she's an excellent mom to her children and an equally excellent friend and confidant for Tess in her final days.

What I liked most about the story is how it's weaved together in a way that really shows the rich and classy side of each woman, as well as Tess's son. It's beautifully written with a well painted and grounded feel to it. I love that Tess' love for painting is braided into the good and bad through out her life. She's an extremely talented woman who manages to keep her love of good and her dignity in tact despite the hardships of her past.

My only complaint is that it's too short. I would have loved to see more especially with Tess' son and his dad. A full length novel with this very story and these very characters would truly have been a force to be reckoned with. Kudo's H.A Leuschel for telling such a powerful and heart pinching story, and in such a beautiful way. You're amazing and I can't wait to read more of your work.

Read more

Helpful

Report
Susan Schleicher
Awesome short story!
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2018
Verified Purchase
First of all, let me say that this cover is very eye catching. Isn't it beautiful? And then the synopsis intrigued me with words like suspenseful, emotional, friendship, inner peace, and psychological. Wow, those words pack quite a punch!

It's always amazing to me how much of a story an author can fit into a 'short story'. There are only just so many pages and words to get the tale told. Helene has done it in Tess and Tattoos. She has created likeable characters and a plot that made me think, with a minimal amount of words.

Tess and Sandra come together as unlikely friends, two people who need each other. And they learn so much about each other in the process. And as we learn, most people and the lives they have lived are not what we think they are. We have assumptions on how someone's life has played out and those assumptions could be wrong.

Tess and Tattoos is just one of the five stories in Leuschel's collection, Manipulated Lives. I loved this one and plan to check out the rest.

Read more

Helpful

Report
Linda O
Boring
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2018
Verified Purchase
I speed-read through most of this book because the author describes the characters' emotions in excruciatingly long detail. I found it painfully boring.

Read more

Helpful

Report

Top reviews from other countries

Fictionophile
Insightful story about manipulation, loneliness, and compassion
Reviewed in Canada on May 18, 2023
Verified Purchase

I've had the good fortune to have read several stories by H.A. Leuschel and have come to expect quality writing. She never disappoints and always writes with insight and empathy.

As with many of her stories, "Tess and Tattoos" is about how we manipulate others. Sometimes we do it in an innocent way, sometimes we have a more sinister agenda. Also, it speaks to how the victim is oftentimes complicit in their own manipulation. The story also speaks to family, and human connection.

Tess, an artist, is in her early eighties, but is still quite mentally stable. She lives in a care home and has no visitors. Her weekly phone call from her son Daniel is the only family support she gets - and he lives on the other side of the world in Australia. As a result, Tess is extremely lonely.

When Sandra, starts working as a nurse at her care home, Tess is immediately taken by her friendly, compassionate nature. She enjoys her company which alleviates some of her profound loneliness. But Sandra has a few surprises in store. Tess holds her secrets close to her chest.

I very much enjoyed reading Tess's story and I'm so glad I chose to read it as part of Short Story Month.

Read more

Fictionophile

Insightful story about manipulation, loneliness, and compassion

Reviewed in Canada on May 18, 2023
I've had the good fortune to have read several stories by H.A. Leuschel and have come to expect quality writing. She never disappoints and always writes with insight and empathy.

As with many of her stories, "Tess and Tattoos" is about how we manipulate others. Sometimes we do it in an innocent way, sometimes we have a more sinister agenda. Also, it speaks to how the victim is oftentimes complicit in their own manipulation. The story also speaks to family, and human connection.

Tess, an artist, is in her early eighties, but is still quite mentally stable. She lives in a care home and has no visitors. Her weekly phone call from her son Daniel is the only family support she gets - and he lives on the other side of the world in Australia. As a result, Tess is extremely lonely.

When Sandra, starts working as a nurse at her care home, Tess is immediately taken by her friendly, compassionate nature. She enjoys her company which alleviates some of her profound loneliness. But Sandra has a few surprises in store. Tess holds her secrets close to her chest.

I very much enjoyed reading Tess's story and I'm so glad I chose to read it as part of Short Story Month.

Images in this review

Report
jodie
Real eye opener!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 8, 2018
Verified Purchase
Reviewed by 3 Degrees Of Fiction Book Blog

What a wonderful short story this really is! For me there was an awful lot of meaning behind the story and makes you really think about like and how you look at things in general.. it also teaches the lesson of not assuming something unless you know the whole story!

This was an emotional story although not quite tear worthy. It is beautifully written and it’s content is just right. The descriptions are perfect and although short the detailing is excellent.

I would maybe like to see this turned into a full length novel it is absolutely something that would keep my attention for hours on end.

Take the life lessons to be had from this story and implement them into your own.
I will definitely be looking for more work from this author!
This book will suit everyone no matter what genre you prefer!

An absolute 5* book!!!

Read more
Report
tranquildreams
Engaging and Clever Short Story
Reviewed in Canada on March 21, 2018
Verified Purchase
This is the second story I've reviewed by H.A. Leuschel and one thing is apparent with her style and that is her wonderful ability to create an intriguing character study. In this case, the main character is an elderly lady living at a senior home called Tess.
There were some pacing issues in the first bits. Perhaps it is to emphasize the monotone life that Tess leads and helps highlight her personality. It did seem to drag for a moment. Luckily this is a short story so pacing issues usually don't last for too long before it moves along to introducing a new character. However, Tess and Tattoos delivers an emotional and somewhat shocking and clever finish as we see more into the life of Tess. Tess and Tattoos delivers us a thought provoking story.

Read more
Report
DaemonGirl79
A beautiful story that packs an emotional punch...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2018
Verified Purchase
Tess and Tattoos is a short story taken from the book, Manipulated Lives, by the author Helene Leuschel.

We start in the setting of Sheltered housing, where we meet Tess. An independent Octogenarian, who has lived in her one room in the home for three years. Tess has no friends and her only family is her son, Daniel, who lives on the other side of the world in Australia, with his wife and four children. Tess has a set routine, that runs virtually to the second every day. Tess is a lady who has such inner strength and stoicism, that shows throughout this book. She is however lonely. As the nurses come in each day she tries to stretch out and make the most of the time she has with them. Anything to keep them with her a few minutes longer, to stave off the emptiness that she knows will consume her the minute they leave the room. Trapped in her own world, in that room, her mind wanders to the past and her secrets. Oh such deep, dark secrets thats she's carried around with her for years, a weight on her elderly shoulders.

Life goes on much the same, until the day a new nurse starts at the home. Sandra is a recently widowed Lady, who has found herself a single parent, having to cope alone and now take on this new job to provide for and make ends meet for her children. Sandra is bubbly, effervescent, and soon forms a close relationship with Tess. There's something there that gives them an unexpected but welcome bond.

It all changes one night, when for the very first time, Tess has to give in and call for help. Stuck in the bath in the middle of the night, she's no choice but to press the buzzer and get a nurse to help. It's at this point that Tess's past secrets and sufferings are exposed for an outsider to see.

Tess and Sandra spend more and more time together and Tess gradually expels her past. A woman who has known suffering, pain and love. All of this the author has written with such sensitivity and care. This is a beautifully written story that i read in one sitting. A stunning setting and the author has a brilliant, descriptive way with words. For a short story it is certainly packed with an emotional punch. Such characters, so well written and relatable. A good depth of personality that immediately connects with the reader. The writing flows and ebbs and carries you along like flotsam on a wave. A fabulous little read. In fact the more i think about it, the more i feel this would be fantastic as a full length novel. There's so much here that the author could expand and with Helene's magical touch, i'm positive it would be as much of a success as this is.

Read more
Report
S. Rothwell
Tess and Tattoos
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2018
Verified Purchase
Tess and Tattoos is a short but lovely novella about a friendship between an elderly lady and her carer. Tess, an octogenarian is very lonely. Her only son lives in Australia and she feels that she damaged her relationship with him when he was younger. Sandra is her carer. Recently widowed and raising a young family and when she starts to work at the home tha Tess lives in they become friends immediately. They were good for each other and I liked watching their friendship grow from when Tess tries to keep Sandra in her room longer to them being good friends. But it is only towards the end when you find out what happened to Tess when she was younger. And then Sandra realises that she never really knew her at all. I loved both characters and could easily read a full length novel about either of them. Tess’s past was unexpected and when it was revealed, explained the reasons behind the divide with her son and his family. I wished she had been able to talk and build bridges with him. There was one scene, before you found out what happened where if you could give a book character a hug I would have done. A sweet story that I read very quickly.

Read more
Report

Follow the author

Tess and Tattoos Kindle Edition

A suspenseful and emotional novella exploring whether we can ever be free from our past mistakes

Product details

Videos

About the author

H.A. Leuschel

Customer reviews

Review this product

Customers say

Select to learn more

Images in this review

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Short Story!

4.0 out of 5 stars beautiful! I wanted more

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome short story!

2.0 out of 5 stars Boring

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful story about manipulation, loneliness, and compassion

Insightful story about manipulation, loneliness, and compassion

Images in this review

5.0 out of 5 stars Real eye opener!

4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and Clever Short Story

4.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful story that packs an emotional punch...

4.0 out of 5 stars Tess and Tattoos

Report an issue

Beautiful Short Story!

beautiful! I wanted more

Awesome short story!

Boring

Insightful story about manipulation, loneliness, and compassion

Real eye opener!

Engaging and Clever Short Story

A beautiful story that packs an emotional punch...

Tess and Tattoos